*Okay, here's the next chapter. I edited the whole thing a lil bit, especially changed some dates, cuz otherwise the story wouldn't work the way I wanted it to. Once more thanx to Dark, you're so kind, and I'm still curious to find out more about your sneaking suspicion ;o). Seems as if I was addicted to quotes, hehe, but I found them some days ago and just had to add them. – I hope that 'candy camera' really is what I take it for. Something like a hidden camera? Hopefully. Eerr, that's it for now.*
'Live every day as if it were your last and then someday you'll be right.' Anonymous
The sun shone brightly through the big windows. Liz yawned and stretched. She hadn't slept very much, but a cold shower and a cup of espresso would do. The strange nightly events were like cancelled from her memory, which actually was even more abnormal, because commonly she didn't forget things like these so quickly. But maybe too many things had happened during the last time. Or not enough.
The memory did not come back until she went into the kitchen, after the shower, to heat her coffee in the microwave, finding the mug with the milky coffee there. But certainly the day was too nice to spoil it with thoughts about things that had irrevocably happened, and which nobody was able to change, so she poured it away, sending her dark thoughts behind.
****
Though it was quite early, the heat had already covered the city like a huge blanket and the mocking sun shone down on the vast column of cars in the streets. Impatiently Liz drummed her fingers at the steering wheel, staring at the traffic light. That thing was trying to mess around with her? The red light signal had been on for three full hours yet. At least it seemed to her as if. Maybe they were shooting a new episode of 'candy camera'? Ho ho, what a joke! The clock on her dashboard bluntly showed her: she'd inevitably be too late. And she hated being late. Once more. Same course, same curse. It was kinda jinxed: every time something else happened: either her alarm clock was off, though she had set it the evening before. Or she forgot the time chatting on the phone. Or …. yeah, she was stuck in a traffic jam. The professor'd already got used to it. Or probably just gave up hope. At least she wasn't the only one.
Somewhere in front she noticed relieved that the cars started to move a little faster again. If she turned off to the right into Kennedy Street, there would be a tiny little chance left to reach the university before the class finished. Looking into the rear view mirror she made sure that the way was clear, and just started up as very sudden out of nothing a black sport car appeared, blocked off her way, and then disappeared in Kennedy Street. Just in time Liz was able to put her foot on the brake. She cursed loud and spat loads of oaths at the dark-haired driver. Of course she hadn't been able to make a mental note of the licence plate. That day wasn't made for her and even worse, it only had begun. What a prospect! She shook her head, making a second attempt to turn right and this time no kamikaze-drivers were trying to put obstructions in her way. She winded down her side-window and took a deep breath of warm summer air into her lungs, and with every second her foul mood disappeared and her optimism, that people sometimes had considered to be pathological, gained the upper hand over her again. After all, things could have been worse.
*********
*Yeah, err, so far. Riddle me this, riddle me that; who's afraid of the big black …. ? Of course you know who it its. Was never meant to be the big mystery. Hope to be able to add more soon and finally finish the long introductory part. Until then …. And, Sherry-Cherry, you know this one's for you :o)*
It was a beautiful summer's evening. The air was still warmed by the sunbeams of the day and the sky had just started to gradually turn darker, after the every evening, breathtaking nature spectacle: A last blood-red streak constantly refused to leave the dark blue stage. People sat in the cafes and restaurants, often very close to each other, because there were so much more people who liked to enjoy the evening outside than there was space for, but like often there were no problems; the daily stress, the pushing in cramped and badly ventilated trains and busses, the - especially in big cities - inevitable traffic jams, the hustle and bustle, the foolish fight, seeming to be so exceedingly important and burdened only one hour ago, all of that was already over and done with. Here, you liked to move closer together, sharing a table with complete strangers, getting into conversation with them and spending a nice time, summoning up for the next day.
Liz lounged back in her chair, sucking at her cocktail and sighing with pleasure. "A place on a lonely beach, the sound of the lapping of the waves, a few palms is all we need –"
"And Benicio del Toro creaming your back", her friend developed further.
" Oh yeah, please, more of that, more of that", she demanded.
"Forget the sun cream, exchange Benicio del Toro for Orlando Bloom and I'm coming with you", a third young women interfered. "Wearing his pirate fancy dress, oooh yeah, that's it …."
"If it's like that, I'll even take Johnny Depp, who's there in any case", the second girl gave back.
"Oooh sweetie, you're just soooo modest", they teased her.
"Hey, get out of my dream, down, down!!" Liz complained. "Kindly create your own, will ya!"
"Phew! I bet the sand on your beach was black anyway, wasn't it?"
"Always white is just soooo boooring in the long term", Liz claimed. "Vulcano sand is so unbelievably beautiful. You have no idea of what you're missing!" She shrugged her shoulders, adding sheepishly, "but in my dream it was white."
"You're never too old to play anywhere but here, but why do we play it at all?" her friend giggled." We're already doing incredibly well. We're quite ungrateful."
"No Cara, we're not ungrateful." Liz corrected snootily. "We only demand the best. You should stop being content only with the boring average. Let me tell you this."
Her friend wagged her finger in an admonishing gesture and was just about to reply, but then hesitated and grimaced.
"Gotcha", Liz smirked. "I can't believe that after all this years you still fall for that."
"I also believed you", the other one agreed. "You sounded so convincing."
Liz studied her face, but she seemed to be serious. "Really?" She asked, looking unsurely from one to the other. "Hey, c'mon guys, I'm really hurt and offended, I mean, you've been knowing me for ages and I'm none of those bimbos that – a ha ha."
"Gotcha!" they were laughing, pointing at her. "Oh really, though we've been knowing each other for such a long time – "
"Yaddayaddayaddayadda", Liz made laughing. "I need another drink, you really get me down."
The other people at their table were looking at her in amusement. "Those are friends, huh" Liz asked shaking her head. "Tsisisisisis", and the people burst into laughter as well.
*I know this is a bit stupid, but anyway. Only a few people really know what this is about and since it's for them, don't worry about that silly sequence. The main part is coming up soon. You will get your blood and death, all hell will be let loose, promised. We'll meet again.*
"Good heavens! How time flies!" Cara put down her pastry fork and wiped her mouth with a napkin. In fact it was quite late. The restaurant had emptied considerably, since many guests had to get up early the following morning. After a short torrential rain and since the terrace was roofless, the remaining people moved inside.
"Why, do you have planned anything else for tonight?" Jocelyn, the third girl, wanted to know.
"Lemme think about it, hmm, there is a project I have to give in four days, another one tomorrow, the thesis-paper still wants to be prepared for it, I have to read a play …. no; I'm free. Or don't you agree?"
"Yes, definitely", they confirmed. "But in case you need help, tell us."
But Jocelyn waved it aside. "I'll just do my stuff whenever I do it: at 5 am. No seriously, gotta go. After all not everybody can have a day off tomorrow."
"Baa baa, we'll remind you on Thursday, when we'll have to get up early and you're still sleeping blissfully", Cara promised. "What's up?"
Joce frowned, holding her mobile into different directions. "I'm not getting a net in here. I wanted to ask Lou to come 'n pick me up."
Cara rummaged in her bag, handing her own cell phone to her, but she shook her head, pointing at the display. "Nice try, but I'm afraid I have to go outside."
"What about yours?" Cara asked Liz about it.
"It's – guess where – at home. I've forgotten to charge the battery."
Jocelyn gave them a wink and then disappeared through the exit. Looking after her Liz just thought how nice it was that the three of them finally had managed to meet, as her look rested on something. Or rather somebody. A few tables away, in one of the niches, two men were sitting, one of them blond, the other one dark haired, with a likewise pretty blonde girl. Her expression darkened.
" …. hellooo, ground control to Liz", Cara's voice broke into her thoughts. "What's up? Okay, who're we gonna kill, huh? Caught your boyfriend cheatin' on you? Where's the asshole?"
"I've been solo for one and a half months, helloho."
"I know, I know and – thank goodness, thank goodness", she added quickly as the person concerned occurred to her. "Honestly, I still don't get how you –"
"Stop that, will ya?" Liz groaned in an irritating voice, "I just can't stand another comment like 'I told you'! Besides: only two words: Tommy Tyson, okay?"
"Shhhhhh", her friend made looking round frightened, "somebody could hear you."
Liz took Cara's pastry folk and began to shove the crumbs on her plate to and fro. "Remember what I was telling you this morning?"
"About that guy having suicidal tendencies? Where is he?" She got up, grabbing her knife, a determined expression on her face. "I'll settle that for you."
"Sit down!" Liz pulled her back on her chair. "At the back, on the left, the last niche," she then explained.
And being the best friend she was, Cara pointedly turned around, looking daggers at him. "May I beat him up a little?" she begged a few seconds later. "Looking piercingly at him's so terribly ineffective."
"Join the end of the queue, honey!"
Cara pouted, but then noticed to her satisfaction, that the young man had turned around, like having felt her staring at his back. Automatically she and Liz put on their coolest faces, watching him disdainfully. He derisively looked back before turning to his companions, pointing behind with a questioning shrug. The two glanced past him and the girl made a comment, seeming to be hilarious for everyone save him.
"Oh boy, bitch terror! What are we doin' here anyway?" Liz wanted to know.
"Plotting murder, I thought", her friend replied giggling.
"No seriously, he doesn't even know who we are. The way he tore along the road, he didn't see me at all. Such idiots don't even get it when they're leaving a pile-up including a complete inferno behind."
"Ya know, I've had a few …. drinks, I mean, not pile-ups, so I won't feel awful about it until tomorrow, in any case. So, whatever you're planning: I'm your man – your woman", she corrected chuckling. "You know what I mean. Anyway, what's keeping Joce all of this time?"
Pretending to be unnerved, Liz raised her eyebrows, and made Cara laugh even more when she started to imitate a faked telephone conversation using two different voices.
"You come'n pick me up, honey?"
From the middle of nowhere, if necessary,darling.
"Oh, you're soooo sweeeet. I had to think of you the whole day through!"
Me too. As well as the night. Could hardly concentrate on working, almost operated on the wrong patient. I'm already at the car, my love, if you want me to, I'll divert you to the headset.
"No, I don't want to distract you from driving. But you gotta hang up first."
No, you.
"No, you."
You.
"Heehee, no you -"
"You're missing a friend, don't you?" Cara asked unexpectedly.
Liz let herself fall against her shoulder, moaning "yeaaah."
Her friend took her in her arms. "You know, I really don't begrudge you and Joce being so lucky, but – during summer it's more shit-awful than ever. All those happy couples, this smootching as if there was no tomorrow …. since Mr smart ass left, I didn't really have anything going on. Which wouldn't be that bad if there had been something real before. I'm getting the idea I was only …. like desperated enough, ya know? And especially that I wanted to avoid. I'm not that type of woman, that's only able to define herself over a man. But my last relationship with Raoul has definitely been too long ago. Okay, I still have him as a best friend. Who has moved to Spain. My dreamland. With his new girlfriend. Which is pregnant now. – Oh, I'm sorry, guess I should lay off the cocktails right now." Though she didn't drink very often, she was able to hold her drink, but as a sideeffect she started to become uncommonly talkative. "In vino veritas. Gimme something to drink and I'll tell you everything you want to know." She grimaced. "And even what you don't wanna know. Above all things that." Sorry, I didn't wanna spoil the whole atmosphere with my a gloomy crap. I'll just shut up."
"Nonsense", Cara said resolutely, her eyes following the dark haired guy, that had just come back from the men's restroom. In passing he glanced at her contemptuously, not deigning to look at her any further.
"Besides, there are worse people. Just imagine, you would've come across him."
Liz sat up jerkily, making a shocked sound. "If I ever do that, please call a priest as well as an exorcist!"
"I thought you wouldn't believe in the church."
"I don't", she answered shrugging, "but I supposed I'd be willing to start then."
******
In the meantime they had said good-bye to Jocelyn, declining with thanks Lou's friendly offer to give them a lift home, too. None of them wanted to go already. They would've preferred to stay in this cosy restaurant until the break of dawn. The room had almost completely emptied, just this moment another family was paying. Involuntarily Liz had to think of a satire by Kishon.
*Talking about the one in the expensive French 'etablissement', where some theatre guests were dining. If you dunno it, read it! It's damned funny!*
Loud yelling interrupted her thoughts. Two boys were chasing each other round the tables, while their parents admonished them to be quiet, of course without succeeding. Both children were a bit hyped up, in consideration of their age and time, that seemed to be far beyond their usual bedtime, it wasn't surprising. Finally their parents gave up.
Liz watched them. Her cousins used to be the same type of chaotics. She sighed silently, discovering that thinking of them didn't hurt that much recently. Though it would never stop completely.
"See the ribbons?" the elder one asked his brother. Liz eyes followed his stretched out arm, as he was pointing at one of the lanterns. It was made of fragile red paper, seeming to be Chinese in origin. But this was a Spanish restaurant. Nonetheless they just perfectly matched with the Mediterranean fittings, a perfect mix of styles.
The other boy let the ribbons, which as a whole looked similar to a cut off cord, slide through his fingers, one after the other, before stepping out onto the terrace and disappearing out of her field of vision. Liz looked at the lantern with a dreamy smile. The front part of the threads was only half as long as the rear one. She glanced around the room. The trio in the back also was still there. Two of the waiters stood behind the bar, polishing glasses and flatware for the next day. They looked tired and Liz decided on leaving slowly but surely. One didn't have to overdo. Her look was attracted by the ribbons again. She watched them, slowly swinging to and fro in a light summer breeze, blowing in through the open terrace door. Something –
She hesitated, her smile gradually dying away. She turned to the side, seeing the remaining guests, taking a quick look over the room, searching for a clue about her strange feeling. Usually being worried not to find one, she now was considerably more disturbed about the fact, that she found several. These ribbons …. She knew them from somewhere. But today she was here for the first time. Presumably she had simply seen such a lantern before.
Those two boys.
And suddenly it became so apparent as if she was watching a movie. One of the waiters dropped a glass and went to the kitchen to get a shovel. The girl from the back niche stood up to go into the restroom. Cara ran her forefinger along the rim of her wine glass, creating a high, plaintive sound. The waiter returned through the swing door, looking down on the ground, lost in thoughts, so he almost collides with the blonde girl. He apologized and both of them were laughing cheerfully, before they went on their ways. The two young men –
A hand was placed onto her shoulder and she jerked round. "Hey, do you ignore me intentionally or – hey, calm down, I don't bite!" Cara gave her a worried look. "What's up? You're okay? Do you feel sick? Liz, I'm talking to you! Geeze, you're as white as snow!"
"It's summer", she replied absent-minded.
"Oh cool, a joke, so you're fine", Cara said relieved, then following her eyes. "Think the waiter to be cute? Would explain why you're staring at him constantly. Hey Liz, this is where it's at!" She waved her hand in front of her face, then turning it round to herself. "What's wrong?"
Out of the corner of her eye she realized the dark-haired turning back to his friends, pointing at her again and showing with a corresponding gesture that he had considered her to be crazy. The blond one hesitantly looked from her to him. Then slowly shook his head.
From the right she heard a short, high tinkle. Her head spun around, hoping not to see what she knew would inevitably happen. The waiter smirked at his colleague, her tapping on his shoulder, before he went over to the kitchen. Liz glanced over to the niche where the girl had just got up, slipping past her friends. She could've told the next moments in her sleep, which didn't shock her as much as the fact that she also knew what would happen after that.
She jumped up and grabbed hold of Cara's wrist.
"Jesus Liz, tell me what's up, will ya?!"
The waitress stared at them. "You're using a gas cooker in here?" Liz tried to suppress the panic in her voice.
The woman shrugged her shoulders uncomprehendingly. "Yeah, of course. Why?"
"Out", Liz said determined. "OUT!! THE ENTIRE RESTAURANT IS GONNA EXPLODE!!"
Out of the kitchen the cook, as well as another man, dressed up in a dark suit and obviously being the manager, came running up. In the face of the completely distraught girl he did without any polite phrases. "I'm the manager, what happened?"
"The lady's obviously -" the waitress began.
"Don't you get it?? THE WHOLE SHIT IS BLOWING UP!!" She looked at them, one after the other – but she didn't notice the disbelieving expression on dark haired's face as he heard her words - while drawing Cara with herself towards the exit. "Listen, I know what it sounds like, but I'm not crazy!! Believe me or else you gonna bite the dust."
The manager scrutinized her full of mistrust. She was aware of the fact, that she behaved like a mentally disturbed person. The cook, having assured, that everything in his kitchen was in perfectly order, stepped beside him, shaking his head. "How do you –"
"I JUST KNOW!! Okay, we're out."
Pushing her girlfriend outside, she looked back once more imploring. "Come with us. Please."
The blond girl stared at her from a distance, then glancing at her friends. As if there was existing an invisible bond between them, the blond guy got up without saying a word, dragging the reluctant dark haired forward. For two seconds he stared at Liz pensively, before saying calm, but audible for everyone : "Maybe you better should believe her."
"What kinda a silly game is this??" the cook shouted. "In case this is a trick to avoid paying the bill –"
The blond one digged in his shirt-pocket, putting down a few notes on one of the tables, before finally following his friends outside. "Alright, there's no use in staying any longer. I cannot force you to believe her."
"Thanks, we're able to take the piss out of ourselves", the kitchen-chief grouched. He was dead tired and just wanted to go home.
"Do you consider the possibility to be the victim of a joke to be so much more important than losing your life?" the blonde girl interfered.
"FUCKING SHIT; MOVE YOUR ASS OUTTA –" Liz cried infuriated, but her words were abruptly interrupted by an earpiercing bang. She had just started to reenter the restaurant when she was pulled back. Without knowing where to, her and Cara were running across the market place in front of them. Another explosion rent the nightly peacefulness. She heard screams from behind and jerked round. Her eyes dilated in terror. A huge cloud of fire broke through the entrance rearing up hissing enraged, now uniting with the other flames shooting into the nightly sky. Where they had sat only a few minutes ago, a terrible scene met their eyes, the picture of an atrocious blazing inferno. Her first intention was to run back, but a dreadful feeling kept her back; she knew there was nothing more that could be done. Cara stared back like paralysed before slowly turning to her friend. "Liz –" she began, feeling unsafe, but she didn't finish asking the question that was preying on her mind. Instead of she drew her trembling friend towards herself, to calm her. "I've seen it, Ca, I've seen it", she stammered out as the tears ran down her face. She buried her head in Cara's shoulder. She didn't want to see what was happening, wanted to banish the cruel picture from her memory. But the pungent smell of burning, seeming to use up all the oxygen, forcing its way into their lungs, and forcing their attention. She raised her had and blinked through a veil of tears. The flames were licking high into the night black sky, as if competing with each other in a perverted way. Spread out over the square there were parts of the fittings; chairs, parasols, tables, all of it destroyed and charred. And she did not want to know in the slightest what exactly all those things burnt least beyond recognition once had been, indistinctly reminding her of – she shook her head to drive away these thoughts. She was far too shocked to notice the looks the others gave her, staring at her mutely. In the distance the first sirens could be heard and the inevitable gaping crowd had already begun to draw up.
"Shit, you really could've skipped paying."
A little disconcerted Alex looked at Carter, but didn't reply anything, unlike Clear:" Though we've been knowing each other for such a long time, again and again I'm surprised how cold you can be."
"What do you want? Shall I break down crying? Would that change anything?"
"People just died in there, in case you failed to notice."
"And? They're dead, I can't do anything about it. They didn't wanna listen to the girl. That's just the way it is."
"I got used to the fact that there's no brain up there, but", tapping at his chest, she added, "that there's nothing underneath the ice-layer –"
Carter shrugged. "Yeah well, unfortunately you're never gonna find out."
Casually Clear looked past him. "How did Terry cope with it anyway?"
"Keep Terry out of this!" he snubbed, taking a threatening step towards her.
"Okay, that's enough!" Alex who had just listened quietly up to that moment, determined positioned himself right between them.
"Yeah, stand up for", Carter mocked him, "try 'n protect her from a fate catching us anyway sooner or later."
"You're in front of the restaurant, aren't you?"
"Browning, still didn't get anything? After the explosion is before the explosion. It's just a question of time. – Shit, where did they go to??"
"What?" Clear wanted to know uncomprehendingly.
"Man, the two girls, dorkhead!" Peeved he raised his hands heavenwards. "Damn, that's just great: that means we're the ones that are gonna get examined. Super!!" He imitated Clear's voice: "Oh please, let's go that little Spanish restaurant over there, it's just soooo sweet! Oh yeah", pointing at the ruin in the background, "really sweet!!"
Clear was about to give a furious reply, when two uniformed police officers stepped up to them. Pointing at them, he gave her a fake smile. "See? Got that gift as well."
